Denali Highway
Alaska Route 8; BLM Managed Lands And Tangle Lakes Archaeological District · Cantwell, Alaska
A 135-mile road across the high tundra and river valleys of the central Alaska Range, running from Paxson on the Richardson Highway to Cantwell on the Parks Highway. Opened in 1957, it was the first road to Denali National Park before the Parks Highway was completed, and today most of it is gravel. It climbs to Maclaren Summit at about 4,086 feet, one of the highest road passes in Alaska, with sweeping views of glaciers and peaks such as Mount Hayes and Mount Deborah, and crosses the Tangle Lakes Archaeological District, where thousands of prehistoric sites have been found. Caribou, moose and bears roam its lakes and ridges, and a few rustic lodges and BLM campgrounds offer services. The road is not maintained in winter. In 2026 it reopened in early May, with a 35 mph advisory speed limit because of soft spots and rough patches.
Denali Highway (AK-8), Paxson to Cantwell; Maclaren Summit at Milepost 37, Cantwell, Alaska, 99729, United States
Open to vehicles from about early May (reopened 2026) to early October, maintained mid-May to mid-September; closed to cars in winter. Check dot.alaska.gov and 511.alaska.gov.